# Looks like we have a budding serial killer in Yonkers **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 25, 2014, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looks-like-we-have-a-budding-serial-killer-in-yonkers/686955 "2014-04-25T13:52:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Happy\_Fun\_Ball](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_fun_ball/32/17664_2.png) [@Happy\_Fun\_Ball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Fun_Ball)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2014, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looks-like-we-have-a-budding-serial-killer-in-yonkers/686955/1 "2014-04-25T13:52:56Z")
Or just someone that is seriously deranged. [Somebody has been hanging dead cats in bags from a tree like Christmas tree ornaments.](http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2014/04/25/dead-cats-plastic-bags-woods-new-york/8141177/) This has bad juju written all over it. ---
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2014, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looks-like-we-have-a-budding-serial-killer-in-yonkers/686955/2 "2014-04-25T14:41:39Z")
> [@Happy\_Fun\_Ball](#): > > Or just someone that is seriously deranged. > > [Somebody has been hanging dead cats in bags from a tree like Christmas tree ornaments.](http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2014/04/25/dead-cats-plastic-bags-woods-new-york/8141177/) > > This has bad juju written all over it. Ok, I just got the chills reading that. Bad juju is putting it mildly! ---
**Author:** ![nevadaexile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb8c5e/32.png) [@nevadaexile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nevadaexile)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2014, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looks-like-we-have-a-budding-serial-killer-in-yonkers/686955/3 "2014-04-25T15:26:39Z")
While that’s one of the indicators of a serial pathology according to experts, most people who harm animals never take it beyond that. And, thanks to Internet and the need for people to brag about what they have done, I don’t foresee this particular offender being on the streets for very much longer. ---
**Author:** ![MrSquishy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9e5f3/32.png) [@MrSquishy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrSquishy)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2014, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looks-like-we-have-a-budding-serial-killer-in-yonkers/686955/4 "2014-04-25T17:40:50Z")
I like this part: > [@](#): > > There was no evidence the animals were used in any rituals, Lt. Patrick McCormack told the Journal News. Phew! At least it wasn’t the Satanists! ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2014, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looks-like-we-have-a-budding-serial-killer-in-yonkers/686955/5 "2014-04-25T18:08:41Z")
> [@MrSquishy](#): > > I like this part: > Phew! At least it wasn’t the Satanists! Since it is done “like a Christmas tree”, we can’t rule out those Christians, though! ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2014, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looks-like-we-have-a-budding-serial-killer-in-yonkers/686955/6 "2014-04-25T18:09:37Z")
Maybe those cats just messed with the wrong rat. ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2014, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looks-like-we-have-a-budding-serial-killer-in-yonkers/686955/7 "2014-04-25T19:06:04Z")
> [@nevadaexile](#): > > While that’s one of the indicators of a serial pathology according to experts, most people who harm animals never take it beyond that. And, thanks to Internet and the need for people to brag about what they have done, I don’t foresee this particular offender being on the streets for very much longer. Yeah well that’s actually cold comfort given that all of this sack-hanging has occurred in just the last year. Twenty five is a lot of trips to the woods in a very short time. > [@](#): > > There was no evidence the animals were used in any rituals, Lt. Patrick McCormack told the Journal News. The _ritual_ is the part where he goes out and carefully hangs the sacks on the trees. I mean. > [@](#): > > Officials said it was too early to say whether someone killed the cats or was just disposing of their bodies. Animal autopsies are planned, according to the Journal News. And, no. This is not somebody who just couldn’t think of a simpler way to handle the death of twenty five of his pets. ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2014, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looks-like-we-have-a-budding-serial-killer-in-yonkers/686955/8 "2014-04-25T19:13:42Z")
Ok - it gets worse. Here’s a more detailed version of the story > **[25 dead cats in bags found hanging on trees in Yonkers](https://www.lohud.com/story/news/local/westchester/2014/04/24/dead-cats-bags-found-hanging-trees-yonkers/8108041/)** > > Officials plan on conducting necropsy investigations into what killed the cats Apparently people in the neighborhood reported last year that a bunch of rats & cats appeared to have been poisoned. Might be unrelated, of course. OTOH, here’s another article which says some of the cats were killed by a blow to the head: > **[Yonkers cat killings: Last year's slaughter went unreported](https://www.lohud.com/story/news/crime/2014/04/25/yonkers-cats-killed-blows-head/8147805/)** > > At least some of the 25 dead cats found in plastic bags hanging from trees in Yonkers were killed with blows to the head. They picked up a variety of blunt instruments just laying around the woods (which sounds like a prime candidate for some napalm, even without the cats). The stuff might just be debris. The woods is in a fenced in area at the end of a dead end street. So not really the sort of place that attracts strangers. This article says the cat poisonings were unrelated but gives no other details. It’s a bad scene all around. If I lived in that neighborhood, I would be stocking up on torches. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2014, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looks-like-we-have-a-budding-serial-killer-in-yonkers/686955/9 "2014-04-25T19:48:54Z")
I’m just picturing one (any) of the detective teams from _Law & Order_ looking into this. “Lieutenant, we’ve got people murders to investigate.” “The mayor wants you to stay on the cats.” ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2014, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looks-like-we-have-a-budding-serial-killer-in-yonkers/686955/10 "2014-04-25T20:03:06Z")
Perhaps cats annoy him and he is an evil bastard. There was a guy on a carnivourous plant mailing list who would catch squirrels (they tear up [sarracenia](https://www.google.com/search?q=sarracenia&client=firefox-a&hs=I2n&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=sb&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=Vr9aU9SBPKLLsQT2uIKYAg&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAQ&biw=1024&bih=627) pitchers to get at the insects inside) and plunge the live trap into a container of water to drown them, presumably giggling all the while. He got into a lot of email fights. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Fun\_Ball](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_fun_ball/32/17664_2.png) [@Happy\_Fun\_Ball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Fun_Ball)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2014, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looks-like-we-have-a-budding-serial-killer-in-yonkers/686955/11 "2014-04-26T16:05:17Z")
> [@Merneith](#): > > Ok - it gets worse. > > Here’s a more detailed version of the story > [25 dead cats in bags found hanging on trees in Yonkers](http://www.lohud.com/story/news/local/westchester/2014/04/24/dead-cats-bags-found-hanging-trees-yonkers/8108041/) > > Apparently people in the neighborhood reported last year that a bunch of rats & cats appeared to have been poisoned. Might be unrelated, of course. > OTOH, here’s another article which says some of the cats were killed by a blow to the head: > > [http://www.lohud.com/story/news/crime/2014/04/25/yonkers-cats-killed-blows-head/8147805/](http://www.lohud.com/story/news/crime/2014/04/25/yonkers-cats-killed-blows-head/8147805/) > > They picked up a variety of blunt instruments just laying around the woods (which sounds like a prime candidate for some napalm, even without the cats). The stuff might just be debris. The woods is in a fenced in area at the end of a dead end street. So not really the sort of place that attracts strangers. > > This article says the cat poisonings were unrelated but gives no other details. > > It’s a bad scene all around. If I lived in that neighborhood, I would be stocking up on torches. Yah. I agree on the torches. I have met people who would not hesitate to shoot a cat; people who hated them and felt like they were always digging cat shit out of their garden. I thought they were evil bastards, though I admit I have thought about shooting dogs that I have seen running free through my neighborhood and almost went and bought a gun because one growled at my daughter in my own yard. That said, the whole ritualistic hanging from tree thing is a different kettle of fish entirely. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Fun\_Ball](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_fun_ball/32/17664_2.png) [@Happy\_Fun\_Ball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Fun_Ball)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2014, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looks-like-we-have-a-budding-serial-killer-in-yonkers/686955/12 "2014-04-26T16:06:25Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Perhaps cats annoy him and he is an evil bastard. > There was a guy on a carnivourous plant mailing list who would catch squirrels (they tear up [sarracenia](https://www.google.com/search?q=sarracenia&client=firefox-a&hs=I2n&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=sb&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=Vr9aU9SBPKLLsQT2uIKYAg&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAQ&biw=1024&bih=627) pitchers to get at the insects inside) and plunge the live trap into a container of water to drown them, presumably giggling all the while. > He got into a lot of email fights. Did he display their carcasses by hanging them on a tree? ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2014, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looks-like-we-have-a-budding-serial-killer-in-yonkers/686955/13 "2014-04-26T21:17:25Z")
First, I suggest if a he/she/probably he is a serial killer to move. “Yonkers” doesn’t go well with a cool nickname. “the Bonkers from Yonkers” sounds like something from the Daily Mail. I feel safe knowing the police have an official occult crimes unit, who can diagnose rituals. “Nope, Bob. No candles **or** chalk!” ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2014, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looks-like-we-have-a-budding-serial-killer-in-yonkers/686955/14 "2014-04-27T02:08:19Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > First, I suggest if a he/she/probably he is a serial killer to move. “Yonkers” doesn’t go well with a cool nickname. “the Bonkers from Yonkers” sounds like something from the Daily Mail. The name doesn’t have to reflect Yonkers (the city’s previously rather well-known serial killer did alright with [“Son of Sam”](http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/big/0810.html)).\* \*has anyone considered that these latest crimes might be the work of a renegade Labrador retriever? ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2014, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looks-like-we-have-a-budding-serial-killer-in-yonkers/686955/15 "2014-04-27T02:10:57Z")
How about “Son of Sylvester”? ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2014, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looks-like-we-have-a-budding-serial-killer-in-yonkers/686955/16 "2014-04-27T03:18:49Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > The name doesn’t have to reflect Yonkers (the city’s previously rather well-known serial killer did alright with [“Son of Sam”](http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/big/0810.html)). Better hope he’s not the “Pedant Killer” 😃 > [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > How about “Son of Sylvester”? Thuffering Thuccotash! Ith the Thon of Tham! ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2014, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looks-like-we-have-a-budding-serial-killer-in-yonkers/686955/17 "2014-04-27T03:34:55Z")
> [@Happy\_Fun\_Ball](#): > > Or just someone that is seriously deranged. > > [Somebody has been hanging dead cats in bags from a tree like Christmas tree ornaments.](http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2014/04/25/dead-cats-plastic-bags-woods-new-york/8141177/) > > This has bad juju written all over it. One of the neighbours is explaining that he didn’t notice 25 dead cats hanging in the trees, because it is always really trashy back there. Delightful neighbourhood … :eek: